Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2941 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: ACTIVISION
• Released on: 2006-02-17
• Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows XP

Amazon.co.uk Preview
LucasArts have been trying to make a decent Star Wars strategy game for years but at last, with Empire at War, it looks like they’ve cracked it. Aiming to erase unpleasant memories of the likes of Force Commander and Galactic Battlegrounds, this allows you to take control of the forces of either the Empire or the Rebel Alliance – both in space and on the ground.

The space battles in the game are the most immediately impressive element with some stunning graphics and a hugely impressive sense of scale. It’s much easier to control than similar titles such as Homeworld though and the developer’s previous experience with user friendly strategy games such as Command & Conquer is very evident.

The ground battles may at first seem slightly more mundane but you get all the classic trilogy technology to use, including outdated (in terms of the Star Wars timeline) leftovers from Revenge of the Sith). There’s no boring resource management either though which lets you get on with the actual strategy rather than the book keeping.

Your success or failure in either type of battle directly affects the rest of your campaign, including your ability to construct more units and their morale. There are also "hero" units for both sides, including Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, for that extra boost when your troops most need it. Quite frankly with graphics this good the game is already a must have for any Star Wars fan, but the gameplay is looking equally as good – making this one to watch for everyone. -- Harrison Dent

This preview is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished game.

Manufacturer's Description
Control the fate of the galaxy in the all new real-time strategy game Star Wars: Empire at War. Set a few years before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope, the game will let players rewrite history, as well as experience the aftermath of Star Wars: Episode III -Revenge of the Sith, the creation of the Rebel Alliance and Darth Vader's rise to power.

Using an entirely new game engine created by the Las Vegas-based developer Petroglyph, the game will feature beautifully rendered land and space battles set on memorable planets such as Hoth, Tatooine and Dagobah as well as never-before-seen environments taken directly from the Star Wars films and expanded universe novels. In the game, players can choose to join either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, building and setting up tactical forces that can be unleashed on the enemy in real-time 3D. All of the gameplay and action within Star Wars: Empire at War is persistent, meaning that strategic and tactical elements from previous events will have a permanent effect on the galaxy.

As players build, manage and progress their space and ground-based units, troops and vehicles, memorable Star Wars hero characters will begin playing a role in key situations. In addition to the single player campaign mode, the game will include a two-player Empire vs. Rebellion mode and up to eight player online skirmish modes.

Customer Reviews

The Best Star Wars game I have played
Empire at War reminds me a little bit of Star Trek: Armada, as well as Star Craft, with elements of Master of Orion thrown in too. You control star systems and build ships, train troops, build mines and weapons etc, then you lead your fleets into battle against enemy fleets, and if you are successful in space, you can launch a ground assault.

Taking charge of space and land battles is optional- you can let the computer automatically decide the fate of the battle for you, though be warned, you will lose more engagements that way.

The detail is wonderful. You can see TIE fighters dogfight with X-Wings and watch as huge Star Destroyers pummel everything around them. Stormtroopers march with discipline and tanks and speeders blast each other to pieces as you try to control the map. You can even lead Darth Vader and Obi-wan Kenobi into a duel!

The game is fun, but what makes it greater is the fact that it's easily modded and Lucas Arts make it easy for people to mod it. This increases the scope of the game still further, to the point where you have Clonetroopers fighting Separatist droids in your own recreation of the Clone Wars!

It's a great game and I recommend it to any Star Wars fan.

Black Holes
This is an excellent game and I have spent some hours now conquering the galaxy with both the rebels and the Empire, some aspects of the game howvever need to be adressesd. It may be my computer it may be the game but I have been coming accross black holes and my ships, units and heroes have disappeared into them and they are lost. the maximum unit counter shows them as present but they are gone and last night I lost R2 and C3, and although this is not a major problem I want them back.

The space battles are a joy and taking out them star destroyers gives great satisfaction especially if all your Heroes are part of your fleet, Defending against attacks can also be a bit of a struggle if you are caught unprepared, but to watch the invading Fleet jump back into hyperspace leave you with a feeling of relief.

Land battles are at times challenging but that is why we play the game, for the challenge and the satisfying feeling of seeing the words You are Victorious pop up on the screen.

More tasks given by the leaders would aid the progression of new players and help out with funds available on the harder levels. Nothing worse than being skint during a land battle.

Couple of let downs
Empire at War has two major let downs.

Firstly the size restrictions on the number of units you can have, we were promised immense battle on land and in space. But if you want powerful units your restricted by size, for example the maximum number of Star Destroyers allowed at once is 6 if your lucky. The restrictions are less obvious in ground battle as the number your allowed increase the more you capture. On the Galactic map you have a limited unit number is well, this is ok it adds to strategy but when random events give you units it pushes you over this limit and you cant build any more units.

The second let down is the AI, in Skirmish or Campaigns the AI is good, but when you go on Galactic Conquest the AI can be very very very stupid. I had two planets Nal Hutta and Tatooine, both with the same buildings, both with black markets. But, Nal Hutta was undefended and Tatooine had all of my space fleet, so they attack Tatooine. This is not a really good example, so heres another. I had all but one of my planets completely defenseless and open to atack in 389 days they didnt attack, so i killed them.

Though these arent major problems they can at times impede an all round good game, still BUY IT, it is worth it.